Our Inner Sunrise

Today, January 1 of 2013 I awoke to a stunning sunrise over the beautiful Chicago skyline winterscape where I currently reside. It was befitting that amongst my daily early morning readings, the Daily Om (www.dailyom.com) topic today was “Inner Sunrise” as today is most definitely a Brand New Day in a Brand New Year!

Throughout our history, the sun has been revered as the most important aspect of life since it provides the energy for the nourishment and growth of all living things. When the sun shines, the heart is at peace. We can start fresh in this very moment, even if today is a “bad hair day” and it’s tempting to focus on tomorrow as a blank slate with all the possibilities that newness provides. But we don’t have to wait until tomorrow to start fresh, we can start fresh at any moment, clearing our energy field of any negativity that has accumulated, and call this very moment the beginning of our brand new day.

There is something about the sunrise and the first few hours of the morning that makes us feel cleansed and rejuvenated, ready to move forward enthusiastically. As the day wears on, we may lose some of this dynamic energy and the inspiration it provides. This may be why we look forward to tomorrow as providing the possibility of renewal. Many traditions consider the light of the rising sun to be particularly divine in its origins; this is also why so many people in the world face east when performing ritual. We too can cultivate that rising sun energy inside ourselves, carrying it with us to light our way through any time of day or night, drawing on its power to awaken and renew our spirits.

One simple way to do this is to carry an image or a photograph of the rising sun with us in our wallet or purse. We can also post this image on our wall at work or at home, or have it as a screensaver on our computer. When we feel the need to start fresh, we can take a moment to gaze at the image, allowing its light to enter into our hearts. As we do this, we might say out loud or to ourselves, “I am ready to let go of the past and start anew.” We might visualize anything we want to release leaving us as we exhale, and as we inhale, we can take in the fresh energy of the eastern sun, allowing it to light the way to a brand-new day.

-The sun, the hearth of affection and life, pours burning love on the delighted earth.

Arthur Rimbaud

-excerpts taken from the Daily OM “Brand-New Day” on 1/1/13 written by Madisyn Taylor.